Spirit of life, God within and all around us—

I confess that there are times when prayer does not come easily to me. Perhaps reading the White House Mother’s Day proclamation was not the best thing to do this morning. Watching the footage of a mother having her her children ripped away from her in Worcester this week also did not help.

Help me imagine a world where we all belong.
Help me see the signs of life in the face of pain.

Spirit of life, God within and all around us—

There are times when prayer does not come easily to me.
What do we talk about with each other? What do we talk about with the children?

Help us imagine a world where we all belong.
Help us see the signs of life in the face of pain.
Help us raise hope in each other’s hearts.

May our love extend to all who have been abducted, disappeared — silenced. May we be your voice.

May our love extend to all transgender people who serve in the military. May we always affirm your worth.

May our love extend to all who nurture and protect, to all who dream and seek beauty and joy.

Even as hatred scars the earth, even though the world is ill with greed and war, may we still be grateful for almond blossoms that sway in the wind. May compassion and outrage both stir in our hearts, and may we draw strength from those who throughout history have never given up on the vision of a just world.

God within and and all around us, I give thanks for this time to lay down our burdens, this time to be comforted, this time to sink into the practice of prayer.

This is my home. This is my only home. This is where my whole, hurting, grateful, angry, joy-filled, courageous self belongs.

This sacred ground; this is where we all belong.

May it be so. Amen.

—Jane S.